In the cabaret "Poland" every now and then go new numbers. Recently, we saw a showdown titled "Skyscrapers in Miedzyzdroje". Author! - cries out the audience. But, except for a few mentions, somehow quiet about the authors.
A visualization of Miedzyzdroje with studwelve-meter-tall maces stuck into the city circulated the Internet sites in early February. The skyscrapers are beautiful, even better put into context. At last, the cliff will not dominate the seaside skyline. Not knowing why, the project became the hero of ridiculous memes. The comments multiplied mockery of the investor, councilors and the authors of the local plan, who made the investment possible. A few asked about the architect - probably to appreciate his efforts and to make up for the laziness of the media, which is almost always silent about designers. But also the architectural community, when commenting on the skyscraper, tended to avoid the names of the authors: Arkadiusz Czarkowski and Slawomir Wunsch. Although, after all, they are so often admonished to give authorship.
Often, but not always. Whenever a project like Dzida Towers from Miedzyzdroje appears: daring, exceeding all standards, an unconventional work, going across the accepted patterns, so many times architects treat the author like a dead man. Either about him well, or not at all. Golebiewski's hotels, the castle in Stobnica, the Hong Kong mall in Warsaw's Wola district, Poznan's fusion of a train station with a shopping center. Seemingly famous, seemingly commented on, but little nuggets. Even if the designer's name appears somewhere, it's half-heartedly. Instead, the investor, authorities and laws are on the tongues. Yes, to each according to merit, but someone nevertheless did these projections and elevations. And not with a barrel to the temple.
The authors should therefore stand in the limelight. By the way, not only the creators of the iconic examples listed here, but also of minor works: catalog houses or estates with masterfully curated PUM and many other attractions that furnish our country. But what to do when the designers themselves pretend they don't exist. Not only modest, they're altruists: they often say they took the commission because their colleagues couldn't handle it. Meanwhile, they deserve fame for another reason. With their realizations, they harmoniously fit into Polish reality.
After all, for decades we have specialized in bringing all aspects of reality to the brink of probability, and then we mock it as much as we can in beautiful style. Memes, jokes, cutting retorts. Everything to burst with pride later: let the nations know what distance we have from each other. "In Podhale, the construction law has not caught on." Buahaha, the laughs are endless. "Spatial order." And we roll on the floor.
We could even make Poland a country-cabaret, a unique tourist attraction, if it weren't for the fact that our jokes are quite hermetic. Poland is an autarkic barrel of laughter: we provide the nourishment ourselves, we make ourselves laugh, we make ourselves laugh. "Gentlemen, who is really here?" - asked Irena Kwiatkowska in the Old Gentlemen's Cabaret with rebuke. This question can be asked every day in Poland, especially in the last five years.
In such a delicious, champagne atmosphere, it is tactless to ask serious questions or make blunt comments in any area. Substitute topics rule. The architectural community is therefore silent or at most whispering about projects fit for cabaret, but at the very least strange in normal reality. In the case of Miedzyzdroje, such realities lie acutely close: it is three German resorts just outside Swinoujscie. The environment grunts a little, rolls its eyes a little, knows its own, but will not say it, will throw meat at the vodka, but will not make colleagues more uncomfortable. All in accordance with the code of professional ethics and its polite prohibition of "malicious criticism," where the capacity of the word "malicious" seems to approach infinity.
Besides, how can one torment colleagues when they are acting within the limits of the law? The profession is difficult, the children are crying out to eat. The plan was, the permits issued, everything is fine in the tables. The law is also from a cabaret, and it's so funny that it hasn't come off the placard for more than seventeen years. Architects supposedly want change, maybe they want something to stop the demolition of space, but since they themselves are playing in this challenging farce, it's getting harder and harder for them to whistle it loudly. Some say it's a compromise.
But something is cracking and the word compromise is being restored to a less cabaret-like meaning. Since November, people have even taken to the streets on this lexical issue. Here is the abortion "compromise," according to the facts, being called a dictate. And the protesters are no longer certifiably dancing, they have for nothing the cabaret bon ton imposed by the "grandparents" and the hitherto untouchable Church. Eight stars in the uncensored version is a caliber not yet fired.
The mood is therefore getting revolutionary. How about taking advantage and calling a spade a spade in the architectural community more often? Don't explain harmful projects with compromises related to "economic aspects of the transformation," because three (THREE!) decades have passed since 1990. Give solidarity resistance to wealthy but harmful investors. Don't blame everything on bad laws, but finally really fix them. Or: learn from colleagues who are doing fantastic things even under these dire conditions.
It is also worthwhile to start noticing such colleagues, who design compatriots housing worse than in the Gomulka era, to develop housing standards and enforce them. Finally: not to relativize. "Yes, there are black sheep, but the level is going up. The twenty nominations for the Mies Award are not a bunch of bells and whistles." - the professional gremen will speak up. Let them repeat it to the residents of Bialoleka. And to dozens of clones of this district across the country.
Finally, it's worth stomping your foot publicly and loudly. Against bad law and disastrous planning practice. It is known, the star march of architects on the capital is out, although it would be good to watch them - instead of tires - burning stinky mock-ups in front of the Parliament. But what are the SARP, the Chamber of Architects and the NIAiU up to? Firmly, substantively and together they can do a lot.
Meanwhile, as a partisan measure, I tentatively propose beautifying the walls - with handwritten architectural lettering:
***** PUM.
And wuzettes, too!
